Report

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to boost economic growth in the United Arab Emirates by 1.6 percentage points and add US$182 billion to the national economy by 2035, according to a recent report by Accenture (NYSE: ACN).

Our cities are changing. With growing populations and increasing urbanization from rural communities and international relocation, governments are re-evaluating how they will manage their resources and engage their citizens in the future. The burgeoning use of smart devices is also demanding a rethink from city planners. How they can make the best use of technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and the anticipated 5G ultra broadband to create smarter solutions for our cities across areas such as:

According to a new report from the IoT analyst firm Berg Insight, yearly shipments of smart energy meters in Europe will reach a record level of 31.3 million units in 2018. Smart electricity meter shipments grew 16% compared to the previous year to 22.2 million units. At the same time, smart gas meter shipments increased 9% to 9.1 million units. Growth in both segments will be sustained into 2019 and 2020, driven by ongoing large-scale rollouts in multiple countries.

Within ten years your medical check-up could involve more interaction with sensors, cameras and robotic scanning devices than human doctors and nurses, as healthcare organizations re-build services around the Internet of Things (IoT), according to a new report by Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company.

Los Angeles is famous for its stunning beaches, sunny climate and entertainment industry. However, it has now firmly established itself as the worst city in the world when it comes to urban congestion - as it received the unwanted title of the ‘most gridlocked city' in the world for the sixth year-in-a-row.

Cybersecurity defenses are under unprecedented levels of attack. From old malware foes and newer types, such as ransomware, to sophisticated advanced threats and state-sponsored cyberattacks, breaches are, sadly, now an everyday reality.

A report formed to establish which cities in the United States were the 'smartest' - has found that New York, Los Angeles and Chicago are the country's leading 'smart cities'. The report examined smart cities in North America and the research was conducted by ABI Research.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states show great promise for renewable energy deployment, according to a recent study by management consultancy Strategy& Middle East (formerly Booz & Company), part of the PwC network.

A comprehensive report conducted by the IDC has projected that smart city expenditure is set to reach $28.3bn in 2018. The report analyzed the estimated spending on technologies that is set to be integrated in order to facilitate smart city programs in the Asia Pacific.

New research compiled has projected that AI will replace between 40-50 million full-time jobs in the country over the next fifteen years. The report stated that it was imperative the China's labor market be prepared to adapt to the challenges brought on by the rapid development of AI and automation.

Linksys are celebrating 30 years of networking and Wi-Fi innovation for the home and business this year, and it has announced that there is rapid adoption of IoT in the Middle East with a growing number of people investing in smart devices for their home, according to latest study by Linksys on consumer Wi-Fi usage trends, ahead of GITEX Technology Week.

The possibilities of IoT in the home are endless, from smart lighting and thermostats to smart fridges to machine learning devices. Linksys’ study shows there is growing use of voice assistants and TV signals that are primarily internet based.

"The number of people using smart devices in the home is increasing rapidly, which means there is also a growing need to upgrade to bigger, faster home Wi-Fi systems," says Amanulla Khan, Managing Director Linksys Middle East, Turkey and Africa. "People may not realize that even if they only stream Netflix on a smart TV, it affects the overall Wi-Fi experience for others in the household by using bandwith."

Smart TVs lead the way: According to the Linksys study, 85.4% of respondents from the Middle East own at least one smart TV, out of which 27.9% respondents own multiple smart TVs. UAE ranks above Saudi Arabia in the adoption of smart TVs, with 86.6% and 84.2% respondents respectively.

Watching TV through the internet is very popular in the Middle East, with internet-based entertainment being the primary source of TV for 22.3% of respondents. This is widely seen in the UAE, among 26.8% of respondents, and 17.8% seen in Saudi Arabia. Subscribing to TV services is still big in the Middle East and the study highlights about 25.5% of Middle East respondents using their smart TVs for subscription-based TV services. Of this figure, 52.1% use it to download TV series and movies, and 31.4% use it to live-stream sport events.

Voice Assistants on the rise: The use of chatbots and virtual assistants, commonly called voice assistants, is rapidly increasing. The use of voice assistants such as Amazon Echo, Amazon Alexa, and Google Home is on the rise, with 35.7% ownership amongst respondents.

Other smart devices that have reached the 40% adoption barrier include connected security cameras and smart lighting, with 39.3% and 39.6% of Middle East respondents owning such devices respectively. While the use of smart doorbells is very popular - they are owned by almost half of the Middle East respondents (46.5%) -thermostats by Nest and Netatmo lag behind, with only 24.6% of respondents owning such devices.

IoT device

Middle East

Smart TV

85.4%

Voice assistants

35.7%

Smart thermostats

24.6%

Connected security cameras

39.3%

Smart lighting

39.6%

Smart plugs

41.6%

Smart doorbells

46.5%

Smart switches

39.6%

The numbers by country:

UAE Most likely (24%) of all to be classified as smart home adopters Most likely of all to own a smart or connected TV (87%), and smart plugs (43%) Most likely of all to consider purchasing a smart or connected TV (88%), and smart plugs (64%)

Living in the digital age, the internet is increasing a part of our daily lives and a new normal for all. Linksys’ study forecasts that 58.5% of respondents who don’t own any smart home devices are keen to adopt IoT in their homes, with UAE at 55% and Saudi Arabia at 62%. Adoption of smart lighting was higher, at 58%, and 52% of respondents are considering investing in this by 2020. The Middle East will see a steady adoption of voice assistants such as Amazon Echo and Google Home, with 28.5% of respondents considering such a purchase by 2019.

Khan explains: "While we are now talking smart lighting and voice asistants, in the next couple of years we’ll move to even smarter connected devices in the home driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Solutions include Phyn, a smart water management system that protects your home from leaks by learning from your usage, and Whirlpool’s smart kitchen range, which automatically preheats the oven and cooks dishes based on recipes. These innovations will accelerate the number of IoT devices in the home and also the need for up-to-speed Wi-Fi.

Whoever wants a smart home needs to be smart and futureproof his or her home network too."

During GITEX, visit the Linksys stand at Hall 1 of Dubai World Trade Centre - the trade fair will run from 14-18 October 2018. Visitors will be able to experience a smart home with Intelligent Mesh™ technology brought to reality by Award Winning Velop Whole Home Wi-Fi system with entry-level Dual-Band offerings. Linksys will also showcase a range of disruptive intelligent business solutions for SMBs.

A report conducted by Phillips Lighting has named Singapore, London and Barcelona as the world’s best smart cities. The comprehensive study examined the drivers and hurdles presented by local authorities that are considering implementing smart city programs into their respective cities.